I have explored more of the ocean and some of the swamps that border it. I got a bit lost navigating rivers through canyons, but managed to make it back out into the ocean before the sun set.

I still have not found a mesa in this world. I am disappointed - I had hoped to make the exterior walls of my home out of hardened red clay, to make for an interesting contrast to the surrounding landscape. But this plan may have to wait until I have a secure shelter constructed. First I need a functional home. I will work on the fancier decorations later. I’ve considered using polished granite instead, but the idea of living within a pink tower is one I do not find appealing.

I have found a small village in an unusual location. The village seems to be in a simple plains region with rolling hills, but there is an extensive cave complex beneath it. There also is a large peak nearby, with a tremendous cavern. The people report that they occasionally hear noises within this cave, which makes me fear for their safety.

I am thinking that I should construct my mine here. My first duty will be to find some coal, to make torches, and then to construct a wall around this town, to protect the villagers from zombies and other monsters. Given my lack of light sources and armor, I am thinking of changing my usual technique. Rather than delve into the caves, I may start from the top and work my way down, grinding away the dirt and the stone and thus, exposing the caves to direct sunlight. The light of the sun kills many monsters, so this may be the best way to help the villagers, as well as obtain the resources I need for my own construction projects. It will be an interesting experience

I have started my attempts to create a wall around the small village. Along the way, I have uncovered more caverns beneath their roads and buildings. I have blocked them off with dirt I have excavated from a nearby hill. I also have started work on the nearby mountain peak, which unfortunately includes battling a spider that crawled out of the cave to attack. I also saw an enderman patrolling the underground cavern. Exploration of the chambers beneath this mountain will be dangerous, so the more I manage to prepare for this excursion, the better.

I did take a brief break to visit Eliud and one of its creators, a bipedal reindeer known as HeidiandStella. They have expanded the city significantly and it is quite a sight to behold. The city includes an extensive farming complex, inhabited by a wide variety of villagers. H&S was proud to tell me that they had taken two villagers that had been turned into zombies, and through a careful regimen of magical fruit, cured them of undeath. This is an impressive feat that has seldom been accomplished in the myriad of worlds I have visited! The two villagers have managed to breed several others, and the farming community is thriving atop a mountain peak. H&S graciously offered several gifts to me before I departed, including an enchanted shovel which works to carefully carve out the dirt in order to retain its properties. I hope to use this to gather some podzol from a mega taiga biome I found in the resource world, so that I may be able to grow some gigantic mushrooms in New Idaho. I know it sounds strange, but I do miss my glowing mushrooms that I had at Lizard Cove. Seeing them glowing from my tower would bring me some comfort, indeed.

Speaking of my tower, I have visited my barren, riverside peak to store materials that I had collected, but do not need at this time. To my amusement, I found Gary the Chicken had decided to take roost within my furnace! I suppose, to him, it looks like a warm stone chicken coop! I hope he doesn’t try to roost in there while it is actually burning….

I write this from the village in the resource world. The villagers seem quite curious about the wall I’m constructing about their settlement. They understand that the outside world is dangerous, but they also seem to be somewhat naive as to how dangerous it can be. Once the wall is completed, I must work on adding more light sources. This will take coal - something I desperately need to find more of. I hope to find deposits as I work on the mountain. Otherwise, I may have to travel elsewhere to locate it - or brave the monster-infested depths nearby.